Tips and Inspiration For Coffee Shop Design

Whether you run a cafe or coffee shop or are looking to open one you may be wondering what is the best way to approach its interior, décor, and furniture. We’ve put together a few tips to help you.

Know your customers

While this might seem an obvious point, it’s still worth ys pointing out that there’s very little point in opening a trendy industrial style cafe complete with Edison light bulbs and exposed brick walls if your potential clientele are seniors more interested in gingham table clothes, wood panelling, and pretty teapots on the table, and vice versa. Ultimately it’s a good idea to place yourself somewhere in the middle with a cozy comfortable look which will attract older clientele as well as younger, more trendy customers.

Mix and match coffee shop and bistro furniture

There is nothing that states that all your cafe furniture has to match. Instead, the great thing about independent cafes is that you don’t have to settle for the uniform look of the larger chains. Try mixing and matching your cafe chairs for a casual look or add some bar tables and high stools for elevation. You can give it your own stamp of personality with character in abundance to make it stand out from the crowd.

Up the wall

Whether your walls are painted, wallpapered, or exposed brick, they serve as a  canvas on which to showcase your cafe’s individuality. Customers like homemade and local touches so why not try to source vintage maps of your suburb and have them framed and mounted on the wall. Alternatively you might consider hanging artwork from local artists which is a great way to add colour and interest. Rotating your exhibitions is also likely to encourage customers to come back on a regular basis.

Light fantastic

Edison light bulbs are commonplace in industrial styled interiors so you might want to think outside of the box a little more. Lights inset into your walls can create a softer lighting and add a warm upward glow while pendant lights with wire shades add atmosphere.

Rather than rows of straight lighting suspended over your tables try varying the style and length of your lighting. LED lighting can be placed at floor level along the edge of a room or set above a table where your condiments, cutlery, and sauces are displayed. Also, remember that natural light is best so why not consider installing a skylight in the ceiling and keep windows as clutter free as possible.

Flowers on the tables

Flowers immediately brighten up a table but you don’t have to place them in traditional vases. Instead, why not consider old enamel or china teapots, decorative jam jars, large drinking glasses or even something more quirky like a branded food tin.

Finally, don’t forget that coffee is in itself an attractive commodity. You could store dark shiny coffee beans in pretty glass jars on a shelf around your cafe or behind your counter. Or why not use jars half filled with coffee beans as quirky candle holders?

Don’t worry too much about trends, instead remember if your cafe looks warm, friendly, and welcoming then you’ve got it right.